The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for controlling the operating characteristics of optical devices. More particularly, it concerns the thermal control and thermal stabilization of optical elements and devices used in optical systems.
It is known that the operating and environmental temperature affect various functional characteristics of an optical device including the index of refraction of the particular optical material from which the device is made and the physical dimensions of the device. In an optical resonator, for example, where the resonant frequency is dependent on the physical length of an optical path, a change in resonator temperature will increase or decrease the optical path length and thus alter the frequency of the resonator. Unpredictable changes in temperature are undesirable and will usually diminish device or system performance. On the other hand, temperature can be used effectively to control an optical device or system to provide a desired functional result.
An effective use of temperature variation is that of tuning an optical resonator to a specific resonator frequency. A Fabry Perot etalon, for example, providing a resonant structure defined by spaced parallel reflective surfaces with an intermediate transmissive medium, can be tuned by controlling the operating temperature of the etalon. A change in temperature increases or decreases the index of refraction of the transmission etalon medium as well as the optical path length of the device between the reflectors. Thus, the resonant response of the etalon can be varied to support one of a plurality of possible resonant modes by a thermal tuning adjustment.
An optical device can be controlled or tuned in the aforementioned manner by placement in a thermally controlled chamber, such as an oven, and controlling the interior temperature of the oven to effect the desired control. While precise control of the chamber temperature is possible, the time required to attain a differential in temperature is longer than desirable for the responsiveness of the optical device in many applications. In addition, the physical constraints of an oven-like chamber or similar enclosure can limit the utility of the optical device or system.
In addition to ovens, discrete electrical heater elements or heater assemblies have been used for controlling optical devices. Discrete heater elements have included electrically heated metal plates which are placed in contact with the optical device and heater assemblies have included electrical conductors embedded in flexible or semi-flexible plastics or similar materials which are wrapped about or adhesively secured to the optical device. Discrete heaters, by their nature, involve the need to control the temperature of relatively large masses that are spaced a predetermined distance from the optical path so that rapid response to temperature fluctuations is not possible. With discrete heaters, uniform and rapid changes in the characteristics of the optical device are dependent upon the value and uniformity of the surface to surface thermal conductance. Since it can be difficult to achieve a uniform thermal conductance, discrete heaters can cause undesirable non-uniform heating.
As can be appreciated from a consideration of the above, a need exists for the efficient and reliable thermal control of optical devices in such a way that their optical characteristics can be rapidly controlled in a repeatable and predictable manner.